Scarves are common clothing items that are worn by women or men in all parts of the world. A scarf is generally a long length of fabric that is placed over a person's neck so that two halves of the scarf hang down equally in front of the wearer's upper body.
Although scarves are generally a beautiful and decorative way of adorning the body, the two halves, or panels, can sometimes be problematic in a number of ways. First, the halves can separate at any time and potentially dislodge from the user. Second, the halves can become uneven thereby spoiling the overall appearance. Third, the scarf may not provide adequate protection from wind and cold if not held together. Various scarf rings and clasps have been developed to try to remedy this situation including designs shown in patents: U.S. Pat. No. 144,170, U.S. Pat. No. 211,594, U.S. Pat. No. 265,459, U.S. Pat. No. 430,360, U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,903, U.S. Pat. No. 2,462,727, U.S. Pat. No. 3,183,612, U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,678, U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,724, U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,121, U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,259, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,144.
However, the above cited designs are deficient in that they do not easily attach and detach from the scarf and are difficult to use in that the wearer has to thread the ends of the scarf halves into the small opening of a ring or clasp. Additionally, the prior art designs do not easily adjust to scarves of different thickness. And finally, the prior art does not let the user easily slide the scarf retaining device up and down with one hand.
Additionally, the prior art designs do not allow the user to easily change the appearance of the scarf securing device by removing and replacing a decorative surface plate.